“New” Zeppelin Remasters Are a Shameless Money Grab

Jimmy Page has just announced a new series of "remastered" and "expanded" Led Zeppelin reissue, to be released on June 3rd.  As I read about their latest attempt to rehash rock history, I couldn't help but think back to Zeppelin's legendary debut album when Robert Plant posed the question, "How Many More Times?"

New Rule:  No matter how legendary the band is, they should only be allowed to "remaster" each album one time.  What makes this series of "remasters" better than the last series of remasters, or the one before that, or the one before that?  The answer is simple:  they're not better.

What make Zeppelin's first three albums so groundbreaking isn't the sonic quality of the recording.  It's that seminal moment in time when those epic works reshaped the musical landscape of their era.

However you try to polish it, a "remastered" or "expanded" version just isn't the same as the original.  I like the first three Zeppelin albums just the way they are.